Velocipe



@No Model.) l 2 sheets-sheen 1.' H. LA GASSE.

VBLOCIPBDB.

Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

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VQ/57265563 ZUWWZOZ.:

(No Modeli) H. LA CASSE.

VELOGIPBDB.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J

Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

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-..UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, HENRY LAcAssR, or AUBURN, New YoRx.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,979, dated October6, 1885.

I Application filed January 13, 1885. Serial No. 152,765. (No model.)

T all whom it may con/cern; other elastic cushion, d, which will strikeY Beit known that I, HENRY LAcAssE, of Auagainst the end of pin b whenthe seat is deburn, county of Oayuga,xState of New York, pressed by theweight of the rider, and thus havetinvented new;an d useful Improvementscushion the seat. The socket fitting over the inVelocipedes orgV-shapedWagons, of which pin also braces the saddle against side press- 55 thefollowing is a -full and exact description, ure and relieves itsconnection with the bar reference being had tothe accompanying drawfrominjurious strain.

ings, making part of this specication. To the sides of the rearextension of the My invention relates to velocipedes having saddle-barthere are riveted or otherwise sea box-body forming a part thereof, andhas cured the upper ends of the two bars G, which 6o for its object tosimplify the construction and will be termed the backbone of thevecheapenthe production of the machine, and locipede, these barsextending downwardly n to render the same capable of being propelled anddiverging from the saddle-bar, as shown byfootpower, by hand-power, orby both foot in Figs. 2 and 4, and then extending rearand hand power,and also to provide means wardly and horizontally in parallel lines, as65 for pulling or drawing the machine by power shown in the samefigures. Under the conl applied in -front of the same; and to these endsstruction shown in Figs. l and 2 these bars are it-consistsl intheconstruction and also in the bent so as to present a flat upper surfaceand combination of parts, hereinafter particularly extend as far back asthe axle H of the wheels 2o described and specified, reference being hadI, to which these are secured outside of the 70 to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part body J by bolts and brace-rods e, as shown.

thereof, and in which- The body J is secured at both its front andFigure l is a side elevation of the machine; rear to the horizontalportion of the bars Gby Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 8, a frontelesuitable springs, K, secured at one end to a vation; Figs. 4 and 5, aplan and side elevacross-bar, L, under the body, and at the other 75 ,4tion, respectively, of a modification in the end to the bars G by nutsand bolts, as illusif@ manner of securing the backbone and body trated.

together; and Figs. 6 and 7, a side and plan of Instead of extending thebars G to the rear a modification in the means for transmitting axle, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, they may ter- 20 motion from the pedals to thedrive-wheel minate in front of the body J, as shown in 8o shaft. Figs. 4and 5, and be secured to said body by In the accompanying drawings, theletter A means of angle-plates attached to the corners designates thefront driving or propelling of the body, to which plates the bars willbe wheel, to the axle B of which there are sefastened by bolts orrivets. The body in such cured the lower ends of the two upright barscase may be secured to the rear axle by springs, 85

C, constituting the driving-wheel frame, and in a similar manner to-thatillustrated in Fig.

, which areconnected together near their up l, and the front springsdispensed with; or it per ends by a cross or tie brace, D, extending maybe secured in any other way that may be backwardly from the, bars, andat a point suitable. The body may also beprovided with 40 near` to 44theperiphery of the wheel by a simia seat, M, affixed thereon in a suitablebalanc- 9o larly constructed and applied brace, D. ing position. Thesebrace-rods are formed with openings or The velocipede is propelled bymeans of perforations to receive the pivots a of the pedals N, securedto the axle of the front drivsaddle-bar E, so as to permit thepropellinging-wheel. In order, however, to provide for wheel and thebars C to be turned about said it being propelled by additional power, Ilit 95 saddle-bar. This bar has a rear extension, E', loosely to thedriving-wheel axle, inside of the formed with an upwardly-extending pin,b, bars C and next io the hub of said wheel, a and to it is pivoted theforward end of a sadsprocket-wheel, O, which will have a key-seat die,F, which is formed with a socket, c, on formed in it, to receiveamovablekey or spline,

lts under side, in which is tted a rubber or P, which passes through thedrive-wheel hub roo and can be pushed into the seat in the sprocket-Wheel, so as to lock the same to the drive- Wheel on its shaft,whenldesired, and cause the same to turn with said' shaft. From thissprocket-Wheel a sprocket-chain, Q., extends up to and around anothersprocket-wheel, O', secured rigidly to the shouldered end of shaftR,Which passes through the bars C at their upper ends, and hascrank-handles S secured thereto. Now,when it is desired to use handpowerinstead of foot-power, or in addition thereto, to propel the velocipede,it is only necessary to push the spline P into its seat in the Wheel O,and then by turning the shaft R Inotion will be transmitted therefromthrough the sprocket-chain to the drive-wheel. It will thus be seen thatthe handles S, which serve to guide-the velocipede, can also be broughtIinto use to propel the machine.

To further provide for propelling the machine, i secure a rod, T, atopposite ends to the bars C, either by pivoting the saine thereto orsecuring it by bolts, so as not to turn, or by bending the ends aroundthe drive-wheel shaft next to the wheel, the said rod extending forwardofthe driving-wheel, and at such point formed with an eye, f, to receivethe hooked end of a draft rod or tongue, U,which may be 'formed with aneye at the other end,to engage with a hook, g, secured to one of thebars C, s0 as to hold up said draft-polewhen. not in use. When desirableor necessary, the velocipede :may be drawn by power applied at the endof -said draft-pole.

Instead of the ordinary crank or pedal, (shown in Fig.1,) disks V, withsmooth peripheries, may be rigidly secured to the end of theldrive-wheel shaft, and the pedals N formed with a bifurcated end,constituting ears h, in which will be formed elongated curved slots or`journal-bearings i for the ends of the drivewheel shaft to t in. Thepedals will also be formed with angular pawl or iron j, applied at theof the bifurcated end, so as to be brought against the periphery of thedisk V when depressed, and thus by frictional contact revolve said diskand its drive-wheel shaft.

A suitable spring, XV, Will have one end secured to the pedal and theother to the upright bar C, so as to retract the pedal after it has beendepressed. The construction of pedal just described is simple andstrong, and makes the pedal easy to work, and in its working is attendedby no noise.

'It obvious that the sprocket Wheels and chains might be omittedaltogether and the other parts still be operative; but the advantagesstated are gained by their use.

ends secured at opposite sides of the said Having described my inventionand set forth its merits, what I claim is 1. The combination of thedrive-wheel frame, the bars for connecting the same extending backwardlytherefrom, the saddle-supporting bar pivotally supported by said bars,the rearwardly-diverging bars connected to each side of said saddle-bar,and a vehicle-body supported by said rearwardly diveiging bars,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. rlhe combination ofthe drive-wheel frame, the saddle-bar connectedwith said frame and having an upwardly-extending pin formed upon itsrear end, the saddle hinged to said bar and having a socket formedtherein to receive the pin, and an elastic cushion interposed betweenthe pin and saddle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. y

3. The combination of the drive-wheelv axle carrying the pedals, havinga sprocket-wheel connected therewith by means of a tight and looseconnection, a shaft carrying hand-cranks having a sprocketwheel keyedVthereto, and a drive chain connecting the two sprocketwheels, wherebythe chains are held stationary when the sprocket-wheel is disconnectedfrom the axle, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the drive-whee and its frame, of thesprocket-wheel supported on a crank-shaft at the upper part of thedrive- Wheel frame, the sprocket-Wheel fitted loosely on the drive-wheelshaft, the spline to pass through the hub of the drive-Wheel into vthesprocket-wheel, the drive -chain connecting the sprocket-wheels and thepedals to the drive-wheel, substantially as described. l

5. The combination, with the drive-Wheel and its frame, of the rodhaving its opposite frame and extended forward of the drivewheel, andthe draft-rod hinged to said rod, substantially as described.

6. The combination, lwith the drive-Wheel and its frame, of the diskssecured to the shaft of the drive-wheel, the bifurcated pedals securedto the same shaft and provided with an angular pawl to engage with saiddisks, and the springs to retract said pedals after they have beendepressed, substantially as described.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day ofSeptember, A. D. IIO` 1884.

reg;

HENRY LACASSE.

